When I first came across the idea of cashback sites, apps were not even a thing yet (that is showing my age a bit). The whole concept felt like magic. Money back for things I was buying anyway, just by clicking a link first? Seemed too good to be true. Good news: it is true.
What is a cashback site, and how does it actually work?
Say you want to buy a new kettle from Argos. Normally you would go straight to the Argos website. With cashback, you go to the cashback site first, find the Argos page, click through from there, and as if by magic you get money paid back to you, as long as you meet the terms and conditions.
So how does that work? One of the ways sites like TopCashback make money is affiliate marketing. They link to retailers, and when you buy through that link they get a cut of the sale. In our Argos example, an existing customer earns 0.5% cashback, but Argos might pay TopCashback 0.75% for sending the business, so they keep a small margin on top. Seems like a fair deal to me.
There are three main ways to earn with a site like TopCashback.
- Making purchases through the links they provide, as in the Argos example above.
- Referring a friend, which is well worth doing if you use it and rate it.
- Buying gift cards through their TopGiftCards service, which often pays a noticeably higher rate than the standard cashback link, as you will see below.
Using the TopCashback app
TopCashback offers apps alongside browser and desktop access. I have only used it on a Windows laptop and an iPhone, so I cannot speak to the Android app directly, though I would expect it to be much the same.
The app itself has a clean interface and is easy enough to navigate, with Face ID support and a simple layout built around Home, Search, and a running total of your cashback balance. The one thing I used to struggle to find was the gift card option, but that now has a permanent spot on the home screen.
A worked example: buying a £100 kettle
Let us say you have found a £100 kettle at Argos (must be a good kettle, but it keeps the maths simple). Open the TopCashback app and search for Argos, and you will see two rates on offer: 1.1% for new customers and 0.5% for existing ones.
A new customer is generally someone opening a fresh account with the retailer that has never made a purchase. Existing customers are logging into an account with previous orders on file.
So on this occasion, let’s assume you are a new customer, therefore getting the 1.1% rate. So in this case, you would be £1.10 tracked as cashback simply for clicking the link!
Before you buy, it is worth checking the cashback exclusions and terms, since this is where people often lose out without realising. I will be honest, for a small purchase I do not always read the full terms myself, it can feel like a long process for a couple of pounds.
The next thing worth checking is the gift card rate. For Argos, that was showing 3%, roughly three times the new customer rate and six times the existing customer rate.
Cashback or gift card: the trade off
| Gift card | Direct cashback | |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | Usually higher | Sometimes higher, but usually lower here |
| Guaranteed? | Yes, applied when you buy the card | No, tracking can fail or be declined |
| Card protection | Lost once you convert to a gift card | Kept, since you pay the retailer directly |
| Refunds | Locked in. Return the kettle and you get another gift card, not cash | Refunded as cash, free to spend elsewhere |
So it is a genuine trade off between a higher, guaranteed rate and keeping your flexibility and card protection. Neither answer is wrong, it depends how sure you are that you will actually buy the thing.
The honest catch
Cashback is never guaranteed. It can fail to track, or get declined, and while you can appeal, that is not always successful. Do not let cashback be the deciding factor in a purchase. Treat it as a bonus on something you were buying anyway, not the reason you bought it.
It is also worth shopping around before you commit. When I for checked rates for Argos recently they differed depending on where you went:
- Quidco was offering 2.25% for new customers and 0.37% for existing, with no gift card option for Argos at all. I have covered Quidco in more detail here if you want the full comparison.
- Everup, meanwhile, was offering 4.4% plus coins on Argos gift cards, and I have written up my experience with Everup separately if gift card cashback is your main interest.
- The Airtime app was offering 4%. As an added benefit, this can sometimes be stacked with sites such as Quidco or TopCashback, since Airtime rewards qualifying card transactions rather than relying on the same affiliate click..
This can mean a noticeable increase in what you earn, for the kettle you would have got:
- TopCashback : £1.10
- Airtime : £4
- Total : £5.10
Now you can start to see how this adds up so quickly!
One thing that will not usually work: buying the gift card, clicking through a different cashback site’s link, then paying with that card. The terms and conditions generally rule this out. It occasionally slips through, so there is little to lose in trying, but do not count on it.
Is TopCashback Plus worth it?
TopCashback also offers a paid Plus membership at £5 a year. Here is what that gets you.
| Plus membership benefit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | £5.00, subtracted from your cashback earnings |
| Reward Wallet bonus | Up to 25% payout bonus |
| Referral bonus | £30 for Plus members under the current offer |
| Extra top up | Additional top up on cashback earned |
| Statements | Enhanced monthly cashback statements |
| Promotions and competitions | Exclusive to Plus members |
I have not bothered with it in recent years, personally I would rather keep the fiver, but if you are referring friends regularly or shifting a lot of spend through the site, it can pay for itself quickly. Worth weighing up against your own usage rather than taking my word for it.
My verdict
TopCashback is a genuinely useful tool in the cashback toolbox, and one I have recommended to plenty of people. The app is easy to use, the gift card rates are often worth a second look, and stacking it with something like Airtime can push the total return up further. Just do not let the promise of a percentage back talk you into buying something you did not actually need. The best cashback rate on a kettle you never wanted is still money you did not need to spend.
If you like the sound of it, TopCashback is worth a look. If you would rather compare it properly against the alternatives first, my cashback apps and sites hub page is the best place to start.
FAQs
Is the basic membership free? Yes, you can sign up as a basic member at no cost.
Is the cashback guaranteed? No. It can fail to track or be declined, and appeals are not always successful. Treat it as a bonus, not a certainty.
Is the cashback on gift cards guaranteed? Yes, this is applied automatically when you buy the gift card, unlike standard affiliate tracking.
Is it really worth the effort? That depends how much you value the saving. I have saved close to £3,500 across my cashback apps over the years, so for me it is a clear yes.
Can I just pick one cashback app and stick with it? Yes. Comparing every app for every purchase is not for everyone. If you are already a fan of TopCashback, there is nothing wrong with just using that.